Egypts’ “Trial of the Century”

So, the Egyptian version of the ”Trial of the century” ha begun. SCAF has done all they can to stall or cancel it completely but here it is in glorious color. On the social media websites, of course, it’s all the rage and has fortunately taken people’s minds off of Obama and the debt ceiling. It has also taken the eye of the media off of the fact that in Syria people are still being slaughtered. Today a prison was burned to the ground with the prisoners inside, for example. Gaddafi continues to defy logic and remains in power, Yemen still isn’t free and neither, for that matter is Tibet. South Sudan still needs all the assistance it can get desperately as does Somalia and the Horn of Africa, not to mention Gaza.

But this trial is indeed very important, not only to Egypt but to the rest of the Mddle East and North Africa, hereafter refered to as MENA, and really to the world as a whole. It’s much more than one man standing, or in his case lying down, in a courtroom. It’s tyranny itself on trial. He has become a symbol of what is wrong in MENA. The others, Gaddafi et al know this and know that if he is found guilty then their days are numbered as it will give the revolutionaries an enormous boost, and if found innocent then the backlash will be equally enormous. They may realize deep inside in parts of themselves they don’t want to see that they can’t stay in power, but will do anything they can do to postpone their inevitable fall.

The ones who have the most to gain, of course are the wonderful brave people of Egypt and the rest of MENA. I have always been fascinated by their culture. Now I am getting to know them as a people and I am so happy for them as they get closer to freedom. This trial will have a watershed effect, which will be felt for decades.

It is sometimes difficult for me, as an American to be taken seriously by some people from the Middle East when I try to verbalize my strong support for their struggle and acknowledge the sacrifices they are forced to endure. I do understand their reluctance when you consider the track record of my government and it’s continual chase for whatever they believe might be in its best interest at the time. Think back to when we offered support for many of those same dictators they now are renouncing, remember how many times we’ve sold guns to the governments hoping they would use them against someone else we don’t like, only to now have them used against their own people.

They have, in their typical brave spirit chosen to proceed without the intervention of the US government, if need be, and many will say that even if it was offered they’d rather decline than be indebted to such a self serving government. I can’t blame them to be honest. Libya has plenty of oil as does Iran and Iraq, but Syria, which doesn’t, has until very recently received only a token of support from the West. I am pleased that so many of my new friends do realize that it’s the government and not me personally.

So the stage is set for a showdown, and it will be quite a showdown. Mubarak won’t go down easy in court either, and there will continue to be fighting in the streets between those who do and don’t support him. I certainly will watch and hope for the best. I am convinced that he will be found guilty, but not as certain where it will lead. That remains for those wise men and women who will form the new government to decide. Let’s hope that this time wisdom and justice win out.